“It Is Well With My Soul”
is a hymn written by Horatio Gates Spafford, a prominent American lawyer,
Presbyterian church elder and hymnist, following the tragic events in his life.
The Hymn was first published in Gospel Songs No. 2 by Ira Sankey and Bliss (1876),
it is possibly the most influential and enduring in the Bliss repertoire and is
often taken as a choral model, appearing in hymnals of a wide variety of
Christian fellowships.

This incredible story
behind this hymn of faith belongs to a Presbyterian layman from Chicago,
Horatio Spafford (1828-1888). Much like Job, he placed his trust in God during
his life’s prosperity, but also during its calamities. A devout Christian who’d
immersed himself in Scripture, many years of his life were joyous.

Horatio Gates Spafford
was a prominent Chicago lawyer, who’s business was thriving. He owned several
properties throughout the city and invested heavily in real estate along Lake
Michigan’s shoreline. He and his beloved wife had four beautiful daughters and
one son. Life was more than good, it was blessed.

But faith, no matter how
great, does not spare us from adversity. Just as Horatio hit the pinnacle of
his profession and financial success, things began to change. It began with the
tragic loss of their son at the age of two. Not long thereafter, and in that
same year, the Great Chicago Fire of October 1871 destroyed nearly every real
estate investment Horatio owned and this ruined him financially. Tragedy
appeared to be his constant companion.

After all his losses, Mr.
Spafford decided that his family needed to get away and relax. He arranged a
trip to Europe. The family traveled to New York to board the Ville
de Havre. At the last minute, Mr. Spafford was called unexpectedly back
to Chicago to wrap up some business, but he insisted his family should continue
on the trip and he would join them as soon as possible. His wife and four
daughters thus sail ahead via the French ocean liner, Ville du Havre, on
November 21, 1873. With Anna on her trip were 11-year-old, Tanetta; 9-year-old,
Elizabeth; 5-year-old, Margaret Lee; and 2-year-old, Annie.A nanny and several friends were also
reportedly travelling with the women.

On November 23, 1873,
after the ship departed crossing the Atlantic, the Ville de Havre collided
with the Lochearn, an English ship. It was reported that Anna took their
daughters to the deck where they knelt and prayed to God for their life to be
spared. The ship sank in 12 minutes carrying with it 226 passengers, including
Haratio and Anna’s children. Unfortunately, only Anna survived among his
family.

The rescue brought Anna
to Cardiff, Wales after 9 days. She sent a telegram to her husband saying,
“Saved alone, what shall I do?”. (Mr. Spafford later framed the telegram and
placed it in his office). She fell into despair until a friend told her that it
is easy to be grateful when things are good but that we need to be careful not
to be a fair-weather friend to God. Another of the ship’s survivors, Pastor
Weiss, later recalled Anna saying, “God gave me four daughters. Now they have
been taken from me. Someday I will understand why.”

Mr. Spafford booked
passage on the next available ship and left to join his grieving wife. With the
ship about four days out, the captain called Spafford to his cabin and told him
they were over the place where his children went down. It was then that he put
his pen to paper and the timeless hymn was born, beginning with the words:

When peace like a river,
attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea
billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou
hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well,
with my soul.

According to Bertha
Spafford Vester, a daughter born after the tragedy, Spafford wrote “It Is Well
With My Soul” while on this journey.

Famous hymn composer,
Philip Bliss (1838-1876), was so moved and impressed with the sentiment
Spafford expressed in the poem, that he quickly composed a peaceful tune to
accompany the words and put it into music. He named the tune, Ville du Havre,
after the ship on which the Spafford daughter’s died.He performed the song for the first time on
November 24, 1876 at an assembly of ministers hosted by Dwight L. Moody. The
song was published in Gospel Songs No. 2 by Bliss and Sankey, in 1876.

Sadly, more tragedy
surrounded the hymn than just with the Spafford family. One month later, on
December 29, 1876, Philip Bliss and his wife were traveling by train to
Chicago.The bridge collapsed on the
trestle near Ashtabula, Ohio and the passenger coach plunged 75 feet into the
icy river. Philip was able to escape through a window, but his wife was pinned
in the wreckage. As he went back to free his wife, a fire broke out through the
wooden cars and no trace of either body was ever found.They were both burned beyond recognition. The
couple left behind two young sons.

Following what can only
have been an emotional reunion, Horatio and Anna returned to Chicago.In 1876, they were blessed with a son,
Horatio Jr, in 1878 a daughter Bertha was born and in 1880, their last child,
Grace was born.Sadly six weeks later,
Horatio Jr died at four years of age from scarlet fever. Their church regarded
this tragedy as “divine punishment.” After the birth of their youngest
daughter, they moved to Jerusalem where they devoted their lives into
philanthropic work among the people regardless of their religious affiliation.
Because of this, they gained the respect and trust of the Muslim, Jewish and
Christian communities.

Four days before his 60th
birthday, Horatio Spafford contracted what the family described as “malaria
fever which caused mental confusion” while in Jerusalem. He succumbed to the
malaria on October 16, 1888 and was buried in Mount Zion Cemetery in Jerusalem.
Anna continued her work in Jerusalem until her death in 1923.

Follow Us

RSS Subscribe Here

Blog Archive

Follow by Email

Cloud Labels

Contact Us

Name

Email
*

Message
*

About Us

Phamox music is a music blog brand that provides information about classical music, hymns, African art music, art musician and hymnal. The main purpose of creating this blog is to provide useful and comprehensive information that worthy to be used as reference across the globe.